Edge folding and securing means for sewing machines



R. LOEB Feb. 11, 1930.

EDGE FOILDING AND SECURINGMEANS FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed Dec. 15', 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 |NVENTUR= Feb. 11, 1930. R. LQEB EDGE FOLDING AND SECURING MEANS FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed Dec. 15, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet. 2

R A Rudu] LuEh, 4 7; A b3 3 r A 7 Mg Patented Feb. 11, 1930 nononn noun, or vnnrivon, NEW JERSEY EDGE FOLDING AND SECURING MEANS FOR SEWING- MACHINES Applieation filed December 1926. Serial No. 154,904.

My invention relates to edge folding and securing mechanism employed with sewingmachines in the preparation of fabric ma. terial for various purposes, and the main ob- 5 ject of my invention is to. provide means for independent strips or sections of material, which maybe the narrower one, occupies such position with respect to the other independent strip of material that the turned or folded edge of said narrow strip projects beyond the turned or folded edgeof the other i strip; producing an effect of piping when such strips are secured together in overlaid posltlon.

In one instance thefoldingor guiding.

. mechanisn employed to prepare this duplex strip ofmaterial operatesupon one edge of each piece of fabric whereby such edge is turned or folded over and said folded edges withtheir inturned portions adjacent each a other are presented to a needleto be sewn e5 together,.with one edge projecting beyond the other; such mechanism producing a complete article which may be subsequently employed as the rufiled edge of a curtain struct-ure. i j r 4o In anotherinstance, the folding or guiding mechanism for operating upon the independent sections making up the duplex strip of material is so arranged with respect tostitching mechanism, that both edges of the two strips of material employed, may be turned or folded and applied directly at a single operation tojt-he broad face of a section of fabric which maybe a curtain structure ;'such 1 turned edges with their folded or inturned portions adjacent each other and with one of said edges projecting beyond the other being simultaneously sewn together and to the body of the curtain by zigzag stitching whereby the underlying and contrasting color edge, which projects beyond the edge of the overlying piece or strip, will give the effect of a.piped edge.

In the operation of a third arrangement of the folding and/or guiding mechanism, the effect of a piped edge is produced by forming the narrow strip of material substantially into the form of a cord. For such purpose, one of the folding and/or guiding devices, that employed for the narrower stripof ma terial, is constructed so as to curl the same into a substantial solidcord, which occupies the position ofthe so-called piping, and is secured to the body of the material to be ornamented together with the wider strip of material, preferably by zigzag stitches.

These and other features of my invention are more fully described hereinafter, refer. ence being had to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the presser-foot and needle of a sewing machine; such Presser-foot being shown as provided with superposed folding guides.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the folding guides shown in Fig. 1, looking in the direction of so the arrow. j

Fig. 3 is a View of'the same character as Fig. 1, illustrating another form of guiding means which may be employed in the formation of an ornamentaltwopart seam edging.

Fig. 4 is an end view showing another form of folding guide structure which may be employed in the formation of a two-part seam edging. r

Fig. 5 isfa viewillustrating another form of guide for one of the strips, within the scope of my invention.

Fig. 6 is a face view of two sections or strips of material in the connected condition produced by the guiding and sewing means shown in Fig. 1; one section or strip having an edge projecting beyond the other to represent piping.

. Fig. 7 is a sectional view of the structure shown in Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a sectional View of the seam edgin%produced by the means shown in Fig. 3. 1g. 9 is an edge or sectional view of the seam or edging produced by the guiding means shown in Fig. 4:, when associated with stitching means, and

Figs. 10, 11 and 12 are views of portions of curtain structures, showing the application thereto of the edge trimming or ornamentation consisting of the duplex sections of material; one art or portion of which duplex section pro uces the piped edge.

In the drawings, 1 represents the presserfoot of a sewing mechanism, carrying folding guides 2 and 3; the guide 2 being disposed adjacent the bed plate of the sewing machine and adapted to receive and effect the turning or foldin of the edge of a relatively broad piece or strip of fabric indicated at A, and the guide 3 surmounting the guide 2, and receiving and serving to turn or fold the edge of a narrow strip of fabric, indicated at B.

Bdy preference, a guiding element 4 is mountin advance of the guide 2; said guiding element 4 serving to impart a temporary bend or fold to the fabric A. These strips A and B pass to the guiding means from supply rolls, and may be under more or less tension.

The folding guides 2 and 3, are provided with inturned lips 5 and 6, respectively, around which the edges of the fabric are turned or folded for passage beneath the resser-foot Where they are caught and held to ther by a row of through stitches a", applied by the needle 7 from the thread 8.

The guides carried by the presser-foot 1 are so .disposed with respect to each other that the upper guide 3projects laterally a slight distance beyond the lower guide 2, so

that the laterally turned edges of the two ieces of fabric A and B, such turned edges ing indicated at a and b, are presented to the needle 7 with the turned or folded edge b projecting a slight distance beyond the turned or folded edge a, as shown in Fig. 1. By such arrangement of the guides the finished strip, (illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7, and which maybe utilized as trimming material for curtains and the like), has the edge 6 of the narrower strip of fabric disposed beyond the edge a of the broader strip of-fabric; imparting what may be termed a piped edge effect to the material so prepared. This piped edge strip may be subsequently applied to curtain fabric or material such as indicated at C, and illustrated in Fig. 10, and sewn to the latter. 1

By the use of guiding means for the indendent strips of material which are deivered to the resser-foot and subsequently sewn together, such as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the effect is to fold over the edge of each strip of material and to bring these folded edges into juxtaposed position, with the folded edge I) of the narrower strip superposed upon the folded edge a of the broad er strip, and projecting a slight distance beyond the same. When viewed from the front, as indicated in Fig. 6, for instance, the folded edge of the narrower strip will present or produce what may be termed a piped edge efiect with respect to the folded edge of the broader strip. This duplex strip of fabric, illustrated in Figs. 1 and 6, is completed by the sewing operation indicated, and may then be applied as a rullied edge to a piece of curtain fabric, for instance, illustrated at C, in Fig. 10.

In some instances, however. it may be desirable to sew the two strips, A and B, to the material to be ornamented at a single operation and in Fig. 3, I have illustrated a view of another form of presser-foot 1, carrying guides 2 and 3, which presser-foot is recessed at 9, on the under side, to accommodate the narrower strip of fabric B, which is folded by the guiding means and turned twice, as indicated at b, so that it forms a thicker edge or body. This edge is sewn down by zigzag stitches a2, applied by a needle 7, and, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 8, these stitches pass through the turned or folded edge a of the strip A.

In another arrangement, the guide or folding device may be constructed to turn or curl 4 the narow strips as to produce, substantially,

a cord, and in Fig. 4, I have shown a rear elevation of guiding means which may be employed for this purpose; guides 2" and 3', being superposed upon each other; the latter guide serving to fold the narrow strip of material B. These two guides present the two strips of material A and B to the point of sewing in such relation that the narrower strip is given a double infold substantially as indicated at 6 in Fig. 9, while the folded edge a of the boader strip will be brought against the same and the two held down by a row of zigzag stitches 0%, (applied by a needle in the manner indicated in Fig. 3) such stitches being more particularly illustrated in Figs. 9 and 12. Another form of guide which may be employed to effect the inturning of both edges of the narrow strip of fabric B, is shown at 3 in Fig. 5, and might be employed in lieu of the guide 3 Fig. 10 illustrates diagrammatically a portion of a curtain structure C to which the duplex strip of material shown in Fig. 6, and formed by the guiding and/or folding means illustrated in Fig. 1, has been applied as a rufiied edge; two rows of stitching indicated at y serving to hold the same in place. Fig. 11 shows the effect of simultaneously applying the strips A and B to a piece of fabric C by mechanism such as illustrated in Fig. 3, a line of zigzag stitches 00' overlying the projecting and doubled portion 6 of the strip B and also securing the turned edge a of the strip A. Fig. 12 shows the application of the strip B which has been delivered in corded form by folding means such as illustrated in Figs. 4: and 5; such corded edge be- 5 ing held by overlaid zigzag stitches m which also engage the folded edge a of strip A. No claim is made to the fabric structure or seam shown herein, the same forming the subject of my Patent No. 1,627,543,: dated May 3,

Iclaim: In edge folding means for sewin machines, the combination of a presseroot, a pair of edge folding devices disposed in line with i and operatively connected to said presser-foot; said fol-ding devices being fixedly arranged in such cooperative relation that independent strips of material presented thereto for single edge folding may be deliv- 1 ered in superposed position with the folded edge of one strip projecting beyond the folded edge of the other strip, and a folding guide for one of said strips disposed in advance of the presser-foot and independently thereof.

i n 3 In witness whereof I have signed this specification.

RUDOLF LOEB. 

